So we didn’t actually leave for France until Wednesday and didn’t get to Paris until Thursday evening. Not too much happened Monday but Tuesday was our second physiology exam. Again, the review Sarah did was super helpful and I think that I did a better than the last exam. Come Wednesday, we drove to Colmar, a cute town that exchanged hands between France and Germany quite frequently in the past. We were only there long enough to get lunch, buy some Kugelhopf and souvenirs, and see a museum, which was a shame since it seemed like a nice place. The altar piece we saw at the museum was interesting because of the style used to portray Jesus, who looked green, and his resurrection. Part of the altar piece was actually under restoration, but they still had it on display. It was cool to be able to see the art restoration taking place real-time.
After Colmar, we drove to Beune, another cute little town. Here, we just checked in to the hotel and then were free to go for dinner. Six of us were wandering around for a bit before we found this hole-in-the-wall place that looked promising for local food, but when we went in, the host said that the kitchen was closed. So we ended up at the best pizza place in town, supposedly, which was very good. I liked that the three of us girls got pizzas shaped like hearts. Afterwards, a lot of us wound up at a nice wine bar, where I bought a bottle to bring back for my mom. When I got back to the hotel, I had to write a paper for VIBS 311, so I was in the common area with some of the others for awhile. Joshua, Sid, Lindsay, and I actually stayed up until around 0130 talking about Christianity, which was interesting. Vivian was there for a good portion of the conversation too, but she went to bed a bit earlier than the rest of us.
Thursday morning, everyone dropped off our bags at the bus and then went on a tour of an old hospital for the poor, which was actually really cool to see. Even though it was built to treat the poor, it was quite luxurious, as far as hospitals go. There was another altar piece at this museum that wasn’t as big or out-there as the one we saw Wednesday, but was still impressive. The amount of detail that went in to every character, especially the angel, made the people seem very life-like. After the tour, we all went back to the bus and started the drive in to Paris, during which pretty much everyone slept.
When we got to Paris, we checked-in at the hotel before meeting up with Julian, our tour guide for the duration of our time in Paris. Julian took us on a walking tour of Paris, which was a lot of fun. We walked through the Latin quarter by the hotel, down by the river, to Notre Dame, and then to dinner at a crêperie. Notre Dame was an impressive building, and had beautiful artwork and stained glass inside. But, honestly, I don’t think it was as impressive as the cathedral in Köln. The gothic style just incorporates a lot more detail and visual interest for me. Nevertheless, Notre Dame is a beautiful structure and I do think everyone who visits Paris should see it. My favorite thing about the crêperie that we went to for dinner was actually the local wine we got to have there. It was delicious and went well with the savory crêpes. But I’ve never had a savory crêpe before and wasn’t too impressed with the taste of the different flour. I did, however, enjoy my Nutella crêpe very much, as well as the tastes I got of the other flavors, which were the crêperie’s homemade chocolate and lemon and sugar.
Friday morning was an early one for us because Julian wanted to get us to Versailles before all of the crowds. The train ride was nice though, just talking with Park, Josh, Katarina and her sister. Versailles is probably the most impressive palace in Europe. It is huge, beautiful, and has an expansive garden. We had two hours to explore the palace and gardens before everyone had to meet up for lunch, and that time passed quickly. I was glad that we got a free audio guide though, since I like learning about the purpose and history of the rooms and what’s in them. I spent about an hour and a half in the palace and then the last half hour in the gardens, which were beautiful but probably are even more so in the summer.
When Reagan (finally) came to get us, she lead us to the area of the park where we’d be having a picnic. It was a pretty traditional French lunch, with baguettes, various meats, cheeses, and wines. I tried literally everything that Julian brought us, except for the wines. I got a glass of champagne (from a bottle I opened for the first time, with instruction from Dr. Wasser) and one glass of wine. I wanted to try the other two wines Julian brought us, but because everyone in our program is a wine fiend, when I went back for a second glass, everything was gone. Nevertheless, the picnic was great and probably my favorite part of the entire Paris trip. It ended on a high note, with an impromptu yell-practice for Pull-Out Day. There was a couple walking by when we did it who were actually graduates from A&M, and they yelled “Gig ‘em!” when they heard us.
When we got back to Paris, we had free time but Julian took some of to the Arch de Triumph because he said everyone should see it when in Paris. Apparently, since it’s all stone, it weighs something like five times what the Eiffel Tower does, even though the Eiffel Tower is five times the size of the Arch de Triumph. We had to climb a lot of stairs to get to the top, but it was so worth it. The view was incredible! I could see everything from Sacré Coeur to the Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower and then some. After the Arch de Triumph, I went with Joshua and Ana to Sacré Coeur, which was beautiful and had some more great views of the city. Joshua and I wanted to climb to the top, but we would have had to pay for it and we were running out of time before we all had to be back at the hotel for dinner.
We went to a fancy restaurant for dinner and everything was absolutely delicious: wine, dinner, and dessert. I even got a second dessert because Mats didn’t want one and Julian let me take his portion, since the budget for the dinner was already set. After dinner, we all went to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, we got to the front of the line immediately after they stopped selling tickets to the summit, so we all were only able to go to 2nd floor. It was still a good view of Paris at night, but kind of disappointing that I couldn’t go to the top. Guess I’ll just have to come back to Paris and make it happen.
Saturday started off with another walking tour with Julian. This walking tour was different from our last one because it was three hours long and we saw a lot more of the city. I was so impressed by the architecture and history everywhere I looked. Paris really is a gorgeous city. We had a break for lunch and I actually got Chipotle - the only one I’ve ever seen in Europe - with Joshua, Vivian, and a few others. It was amazing to have really familiar food again. We ended our walking tour at the Lourve, which was much bigger than I expected it to be. We spent about four hours just in one building and, while it was interesting, a lot of us were feeling pretty run down at the end of it. And, even though Dr. Wasser warned us about it, I was still surprised by how small the Mona Lisa ended up being. I was also disappointed that the largest painting in the world, which was in the same room as the Mona Lisa, was covered up to protect it while renovations were being done. I was actually looking forward to seeing that painting the most and was sad that it didn’t work out. After the Lourve, I went with Marcus and Ryan B. to this a place Julian recommended. Julian had said that this place served his favorite eclairs in Paris and that, once it’s in your mouth, you forget about the price. I originally just bought a sampler of 5 mini macaroons- the one thing I wasn’t leaving Paris without having eaten - but after seeing Ryan’s eclair, I ordered also ordered an eclair for myself. I don’t regret spending 22 euros on these desserts at all because they were life-changing. I don’t think I’ll ever have a better macaroon or eclair. When the three of us went back to the hotel, it was sad to hear about how the others went to a cheaper place and were severely disappointed in their macaroons.
Dinner Saturday was on our own and I went with Marcus, Ryans, Kevin and Vivian to the Latin quarter for whatever we could find. We wandered around for a while trying to find something with enough space for all of us and a kind of food we could agree on. We ended up at a place that had pate for Ryan to try - although, Vivian and I tried it as well - and some super tasty burgers. Our waitress was really sweet too and, after we had paid for our meals, she invited us all to take a shot with her. Overall, a good way to end my last full day in Paris.
Today is now Sunday and we were released this morning to travel, but my BlaBla Car ride wasn’t until 1300, so I had enough time to go to Berthillon, an ice cream shop that Mats had recommended. It was the best ice cream I’ve ever had, that’s for sure. While I was there, I met an older lady visiting her daughter, who had just recently started working there. This older woman said that the only place she would eat ice cream was Berthillon because it was the only ice cream she ever liked. I can’t say I don’t understand where she’s coming from. After I finished my dessert for lunch, I started making my way to Shakespeare and Co., a really cool bookstore that was, again, recommended by Mats. I wasn’t in a hurry since the bookstore didn’t open until 12, so I took my time looking for souvenirs and street art - which is where most of the money I spent in Paris went.
After Shakespeare and Co., I rushed over to where my BlaBla Car was picking me up and then had a two hour drive to Tournai. They had apparently just had a parade for Carneval and everyone was still in costumes and confetti was literally everywhere I looked. Tournai was another cute French town, with a few sites I was able to see before I had to make my way to the train station. While I waited for my train, I grabbed some chicken strips and fries from this fast food place across the street. I mention it because they gave everything to me wrapped up in parchment paper, which reminded me of whenever I would get fish and chips to-go in Australia. Also, these were the best chicken strips I’ve ever had in my life. I know I’m saying that about a lot of different foods during this trip, but that just shows how amazing the food is everywhere you go in France. Anyway, I caught my train and made all of my transfers until I got to Brugge, where I am now. I caught a bus to my AirBnB and met my host just a bit ago. She’s super sweet and the space is really nice. Now, all I have to do is figure out what to do while I’m in town. Brugge has more to see than I initially thought, so it will be difficult to do everything I want to do. Even if I can’t though, I know I’ll have a good time here.
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